Greetings, TAGsters!
Join us this Thursday, September 11th for the first entry in the Critical Conversation Series. Carolyn Jong and Joachim Despland will be hosting an open discussion about the most recent harassment campaign afflicting the gaming community: the targeting and abuse of so-called “Social Justice Warriors” in game culture. Whether or not you’ve been following these events, we recommend that you first read this article by Liz Ryerson, which goes into some detail about the nature of the abuse and the arguments that have been raised in an attempt to justify harmful behaviour: http://ellaguro.blogspot.ca/2014/08/on-right-wing-videogame-extremism.html Building on this article, we will be considering the root causes of the abuse against women and other marginalized people in games, the connection between these events and broader social and historical trends, and steps we can take to address the issue while also lending support to victims.
While we believe it is important to talk about harassment and misogyny in game culture, we also recognize that many people within the community have been both directly and indirectly affected by personal attacks. Before contributing to the conversation, we urge everyone to read (or re-read) TAG’s safe space policy (which can be found at tag.hexagram.ca/about/ ), and to carefully consider the real psychological impact that these events have had.
What: Critical Conversation Series #1 – Right Wing Videogame Extremism
When: Thursday, September 11th, from 5-7pm
Where: Centre for Technoculture, Art, and Games – EV 11.655, 1515 St. Catherine W.
Who: All are Welcome!